Collecting culture in full effect at St. Joseph convention

ST. JOSEPH, Mo (KQTV) -- Retro Con, held at the Civic Arena in St. Joseph, brings together fans and collectors to showcase and celebrate pop culture memorabilia.

Collectors browsed tables of memorabilia available for purchase both days.

Items available included comic books, hand-drawn illustrations, 3D printed models, and action figures.

The hobby of collecting has seen substantial growth ever since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"When the pandemic started, a lot of people started staying home," Gary Patterson of Back N Time Autographs said. "Memorabilia is very addicting. You get one, then you see another one and you say 'I gotta have that one now.'"

Collecting memorabilia can sometimes seem expensive, but determined newcomers can always find a starting point.

"In every hobby, there are going to be higher end, more expensive things," Brett Robertson of Chaotically Crafted said. "But for any hobby there is a low barrier to entry, there's always a way to get in."

Events like St. Joseph Retro Con have boosted interest in collecting, making the hobby increasingly popular and accessible.

With collecting becoming more mainstream, the global market is projected to surpass $300 Billion in 2026, according to Grand View Research.